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"The fourth book in the series finds Verlaque and Bonnet on vacation on a remote island in the glittering Mediterranean Like Donna Leon and Andrea Camilleri, M. L. Longworth's books enchant mystery lovers with a taste for good food and gorgeous landscapes. In Murder on the Île Sordou, Judge Antoine Verlaque and his girlfriend, law professor Marine Bonnet, are hoping to enjoy a relaxing holiday at the Locanda Sordou, an opulent hotel that is reopening after decades, but someone has other plans. Maxime Le Bon and his wife have spent their life savings restoring the Locanda, which lies on an archipelago just off the coast of Marseille. The murder of one of the guests casts a shadow over everyone's vacation, and Verlaque and Bonnet are once again called to investigate. But things go from bad to worse when a violent storm cuts off all communication with the mainland. Will the killer strike again?"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
Judge Antoine Verlaque, law professor Marine Bonnet, & her friend Sylvie (whom I dislike) are vacationing at a once popular revitalized seaside hotel, Locanda Sordou, off the coast of Marseilles.
As the book begins we are introduced the guests & the small hotel staff. The guests include; Bill &
The hard-working staff include: Maxime & Cat-Cat Le Bon, owners of the renovated hotel; Nikki, office, desk, concierge; Marie-Therese, shy waitress, hostess, & kitchen girl; Emile, the nouveau chef who uses fresh ingredients found & grown on the island; Hugo, handyman; Mme Poux, the housekeeper; Serge, the bartender; and Prosper, the light-keeper & purveyor of fresh game,whose family have lived on the island for generations.
The tension between the Denis family is palpable, making for discomfort among the guests. After arguing w/ Alain, Brice runs out of the hotel and disappears. When a single shot is heard all are assured it is Prosper who is out hunting rabbits... but the next morning Alain is found dead on the beach from a single gunshot to the head.
Verlaque immediately calls for Inspector Bruno Paulik who joins the investigation & questioning of the guests all of whom, as eventually revealed, have something in common w/ the murdered man.
The bostory was very interesting and engaging, I could see myself among the guests, drinking in the bar, eating the lushly described meals, sunning myself on the beach... I was entranced by the richness of description, which is what I love about this series. Odd thing is, the romance of this series reminds me of the 1920's not the current modern era in which it takes place.
As the book begins we are introduced the guests & the small hotel staff. The guests include; Bill &
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Shirley Hobbes, an American couple; Eric Monnier, a retired professor & poet; Clement Viale & his wife, a school friend of Verlaque & hotel investor; Alain Denis, an egotistical-over-the-hill actor; his long suffering wife, Emmanuelle; and her son Brice.The hard-working staff include: Maxime & Cat-Cat Le Bon, owners of the renovated hotel; Nikki, office, desk, concierge; Marie-Therese, shy waitress, hostess, & kitchen girl; Emile, the nouveau chef who uses fresh ingredients found & grown on the island; Hugo, handyman; Mme Poux, the housekeeper; Serge, the bartender; and Prosper, the light-keeper & purveyor of fresh game,whose family have lived on the island for generations.
The tension between the Denis family is palpable, making for discomfort among the guests. After arguing w/ Alain, Brice runs out of the hotel and disappears. When a single shot is heard all are assured it is Prosper who is out hunting rabbits... but the next morning Alain is found dead on the beach from a single gunshot to the head.
Verlaque immediately calls for Inspector Bruno Paulik who joins the investigation & questioning of the guests all of whom, as eventually revealed, have something in common w/ the murdered man.
The bostory was very interesting and engaging, I could see myself among the guests, drinking in the bar, eating the lushly described meals, sunning myself on the beach... I was entranced by the richness of description, which is what I love about this series. Odd thing is, the romance of this series reminds me of the 1920's not the current modern era in which it takes place.
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LibraryThing member murderbydeath
I hovered over the 4.5 star mark for a second or two before settling on the 4 star. This is a really good entry in the Verlaque and Bonnet Provencal series.
On holiday in a new resort 15 miles off the coast of Marseille, Verlaque and Bonnet are trying to keep a low profile, but the resort only has
Verlaque is definitely the main focus of this book; Marine Bonnet is there every step of the way but there's very little told from her POV. Verlaque has come a long way from the overly aloof, even arrogant, judge he was at the start and even he worries he is becoming too soft. This is a relief, given that the reader spends most of the time with him.
In spite of the murder, Longworth made me wish I could be there with them; dead body aside it sounded divine: great food, gorgeous setting, wonderful staff and friendly guests. And the way she wraps up the mystery (which was heartbreaking), I wouldn't have even minded sharing my week with the killer.
(This would qualify for a locked room type mystery, and at a stretch, a 'country house' mystery; only the guest and staff, and the old lighthouse keeper are on the island, with no access on or off, and no cell phone reception. This would also work just fine as a stand-alone.)
On holiday in a new resort 15 miles off the coast of Marseille, Verlaque and Bonnet are trying to keep a low profile, but the resort only has
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guests in 7 rooms and they all become friendly, until one morning after a storm, one of them is found dead on the shore.Verlaque is definitely the main focus of this book; Marine Bonnet is there every step of the way but there's very little told from her POV. Verlaque has come a long way from the overly aloof, even arrogant, judge he was at the start and even he worries he is becoming too soft. This is a relief, given that the reader spends most of the time with him.
In spite of the murder, Longworth made me wish I could be there with them; dead body aside it sounded divine: great food, gorgeous setting, wonderful staff and friendly guests. And the way she wraps up the mystery (which was heartbreaking), I wouldn't have even minded sharing my week with the killer.
(This would qualify for a locked room type mystery, and at a stretch, a 'country house' mystery; only the guest and staff, and the old lighthouse keeper are on the island, with no access on or off, and no cell phone reception. This would also work just fine as a stand-alone.)
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LibraryThing member readafew
Murder on the Île Sordou is the 4th book in the Verlaque and Bonnet Mystery series. I will say it was a very French mystery. It would also fall under the cozies. I think there was almost as much time discussing the food being served as there was in character building.
We meet most of the
There was a limited but wide-ranging cast of individuals. A washed up actor, his trophy wife, and her teenage son. A retired school teacher, Marine’s best friend and an American couple. There was also the hired help who came from a varied background. The innocent local girl, the ex-con the hot dock boy plus a couple others. And lets not forget the crazy local who takes care of the historic lighthouse.
This one had the murder take place fairly far into the book giving us a pretty good idea who the victim was going to be. Mostly because he’s the one we all wanted to die! There were several different suspects for several very different reasons. However, if you are paying attention it will appear pretty obvious who did it and even an idea of why. I didn’t consider this one a big mystery, but more of an interesting story of one man’s fate he brought upon himself.
We meet most of the
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characters one at a time, get a little glimpse into their past and who they are. Well, most of them any way. Our Antoine and Marine, our protagonists are off to have a nice vacation together at a newly re-opened high-class hotel on a small remote island off the coast of Marseille. The proprietors Max and Cat-cat Le Bon have just spent a small fortune refurbishing the place, much of it their life savings, and that of a couple investors. One of which is an old school chum of Antoione’s, who is also there for the grand opening. There was a limited but wide-ranging cast of individuals. A washed up actor, his trophy wife, and her teenage son. A retired school teacher, Marine’s best friend and an American couple. There was also the hired help who came from a varied background. The innocent local girl, the ex-con the hot dock boy plus a couple others. And lets not forget the crazy local who takes care of the historic lighthouse.
This one had the murder take place fairly far into the book giving us a pretty good idea who the victim was going to be. Mostly because he’s the one we all wanted to die! There were several different suspects for several very different reasons. However, if you are paying attention it will appear pretty obvious who did it and even an idea of why. I didn’t consider this one a big mystery, but more of an interesting story of one man’s fate he brought upon himself.
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LibraryThing member KatherineGregg
I read this upon returning from a trip to Provence so especially enjoyed reading Murder on the Ile Sordou. A group of tourists visit a posh new hotel situated on a fictitious island off the coast of Marseille when one member of the group is murdered. The book read like a good old fashioned Agatha
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Christie whodunnit. Show Less
LibraryThing member APopova
Loving this series, just keeps getting better. And the author is Toronto born!
LibraryThing member DowntownLibrarian
Some fascinating characters gather on a Mediterranean island to enjoy the sun and the fine food and wine. Not everyone is as charming as the detectives, and soon someone is dead. A modern French version of the country house mystery. Effervescent and certainly recommended.
LibraryThing member diana.hauser
Murder on the Ile Sordou by M. L. Longworth is a Verlaque & Bonnet Provencal Mystery,
Book #4.
Antoine Verlaque and Marine Bonnet are on a holiday at a luxury hotel on the Ile Sordou, when a murder disrupts their relaxing (and quite luxurious) stay.
I enjoy this series very much.
The south of France -
I liked the author’s note about islands off the coast of Marseille. Sordou is an invented location, but there are many others, some closed to the public and others that can be visited by boat from Marseille’s Old Port.
A good title and a good series. ****
Book #4.
Antoine Verlaque and Marine Bonnet are on a holiday at a luxury hotel on the Ile Sordou, when a murder disrupts their relaxing (and quite luxurious) stay.
I enjoy this series very much.
The south of France -
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Provence - is one of, if not the main character. Along with the food, the wine, the ambiance, the well-detailed characters and plot points - the stage is set for a very remarkable mystery.I liked the author’s note about islands off the coast of Marseille. Sordou is an invented location, but there are many others, some closed to the public and others that can be visited by boat from Marseille’s Old Port.
A good title and a good series. ****
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LibraryThing member Romonko
This is the fourth book in the Verlaque and Bonnet series. I love this series set in France so much! As usual, the food and wine are exquisite and the location can't be beat (an isolated island off the Coast of Marseilles). Friends of Marine's have opened up a boutique hotel on the island, and
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Antoine and Marine have been invited to the inaugural grand opening of this hotel. Things are going well, and then the body of one of the guests is found on the beach and the man had been shot through the head. There is no question it is murder. Who on this island had a reason to see the man dead? As Verlaque investigates, he uncovers 50 year old secrets among the guests, and it looks like more than one person had a good reason to kill. I found the pace terribly slow in this one. It had an unusually long start and the murder doesn't occur until almost halfway through the book. That is why I gave the book 3 stars, but I still really enjoyed Verlaque and Bonnet, and the mystery, when it finally occurred, was a tricky one. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I did listen to this one on audiobook. Show Less